HOUSTON — The 9th Annual Houston Salutes American Heroes Veterans Day Commemoration and Parade will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2007 in downtown Houston. The Houston VA National Cemetery, in conjunction with the City of Houston, is proud to continue the tradition of honoring the brave men and women who have risked their lives for our great nation. This year’s theme is “Thank Veterans for the Blessings of Freedom.”

A Commemoration Ceremony will take place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Hermann Square in front of City Hall, downtown Houston, 901 Bagby Street. A Parade of Heroes with a flyover will follow at 1 p.m. and begin at Smith and Texas, proceed down Smith to Lamar, right on Lamar and conclude at Bagby Street.

This year, the ceremony keynote speaker role will be shared by Col. Arch Ethun, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) representing World War II veterans; Charles Laird, U.S. Marine Corps, Texas Lone Star Chapter, Korean War Veterans representing Korean War veterans; Col. Bill Duncan, U.S. Marine Corps representing Vietnam War veterans; and Chase Freel, U.S. Army representing Gulf War and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom veterans.

After the parade, the Houston Freedom Fest will be held at 2 p.m. in front of City Hall, Tranquility Park, and Herman Park. A new initiative to "Honor the Troops," the Fest features speakers and entertainers including Lee Greenwood, the Texas A&M Singing Cadets, and the Houston Drum Corps.